Made for Each Other

by Irene Brand

  He pushed back from the table, gathered her into his arms and held her snugly. For a long moment she felt as if she were floating on a cloud, but with a sigh, Jacob released her.

  “Perhaps we’d better go,” he said regretfully.

  At that moment, Aimee would have been satisfied just to stay within the circle of his arms. Still, she’d said they were going to be friends. She’d set the terms; now she’d have to live with them.

  Chapter Nine

  The Spencer home was located in an older section of Benton, but Aimee was pleased to note that the one-story house was painted and in good repair in contrast to some of the other houses in the neighborhood.

  The door was opened by a brown-haired girl.

  “Chloe?” Jacob said. She nodded.

  “I’m Jacob Mallory from Substitute Siblings.” He touched Aimee’s shoulder. “This is Aimee Blake.”

  With a slight smile, the girl said softly, “I know Mrs. Blake. Come in.”

  “I recognize you, too, Chloe,” Aimee said as they entered the house. “I thought your name sounded familiar. You must have been a student at Eastside Elementary.”

  Chloe nodded her head. “Yes. I moved to Benton when I was in the fifth grade. Grandma is in the living room.”

  Chloe was a smaller girl than Samantha, with delicately carved facial features. Green eyes beamed from the pale gold undertones of her face. Her straight auburn hair flowed gently around her shoulders, resulting in a rare beauty.

  They followed Chloe into a room to the right of the front door. A woman, probably in her late sixties, stood and shook hands with them. Her straight, gray hair was neatly shaped around her wrinkled cheeks, and she had the gentlest brown eyes Aimee had ever seen. A walker stood beside her chair.

  “Please sit down. I’m Allie Slater.”

  Aimee and Jacob sat on the couch.

  “It’s good of you, Mrs. Blake, to take time for Chloe,” Mrs. Slater said. “I know you’re busy at school. And Chloe says you have a daughter, too.”

  “Yes, Samantha. She’s fourteen, too.”

  “It worries me that Chloe doesn’t make friends at school, and I’m not able to take her many places except to church. I thought Siblings would be helpful for her.”

  “This is my first assignment for Siblings,” Aimee admitted, “but I’m sure that Chloe and I will get along all right.” She turned to Chloe. “What are your favorite school subjects?”

  A flush spread across Chloe’s face. “I like music best.”

  “Oh, then you’re singing in the spring chorale,” Aimee assumed.

  Shaking her head, Chloe answered, “No, I didn’t try out for it.”

  “Why not?” Aimee persisted.

  “I didn’t think I’d be chosen, and that would have made me feel bad.”

  Aimee glanced toward Mrs. Slater, who shrugged her shoulders. “Chloe has always been a timid child. She sings in the youth choir at church, and she has a beautiful voice. I encouraged her to try out for the chorale.”

  “How long do you have to decide?” Aimee asked.

  “They’ve started practicing already, but we sing some of the songs in music class,” Chloe said.

  “So maybe it’s not too late for you to join,” Aimee suggested. “Think about it. Now, for our day out, let’s decide when and where. Actually, it will have to be a half day out, but would this coming Saturday afternoon suit you? We could take in a movie and have a snack afterward.” Aimee looked toward Mrs. Slater. “Will that be okay with you?”

  “If it’s all right with Chloe.” She looked at her granddaughter.

  “Yes, ma’am, I’d like that.”

  “It’s settled then.” Aimee took a pen and notebook from her purse. “I’ll give you my phone number if you need to postpone for any reason, but I’ll call you before Saturday.” They visited for a while, and Chloe showed Aimee her room.

  An hour later, Jacob thanked Mrs. Slater and explained that they needed to go. “I have a meeting tonight,” he told her. “It’s nice to meet both you and Chloe.”

  “Excuse me for not going to the door with you, but my arthritis is acting up today, and when that happens, I can’t get far away from my walker. Thanks so much for taking an interest in my granddaughter.”

  Chloe went with them to the door and stepped out on the porch. “Grandma is right,” she said quietly, “I am too bashful to try out for the chorale, but the real reason is that I’d have to buy a black skirt and a white, long-sleeved blouse to be in it. Grandma can’t afford it. She does the best she can, and I don’t want to put her out.”

  “That’s good of you, Chloe,” Aimee said, and her heart was touched by the selflessness the girl exhibited. Unlike Samantha, who had grown up only thinking of herself. Aimee knew it was her fault as much as Samantha’s that her daughter never hesitated to ask for anything she wanted.

  Aimee put her arm around Chloe. “You go ahead and try out for the chorale—if you are chosen, I’ll see that you have the proper clothes.”

  “Oh, Mrs. Blake, I couldn’t do that. But thank you.”

  “We can consider that part of my responsibility in being a Sibling for you. I’m sure we’ll find something that isn’t too expensive.”

  Chloe shook her head, but not very convincingly. Aimee gave her a quick hug.

  Jacob’s eyes were approving when he opened the car door. “That was good of you. Apparently, Mrs. Slater provides all of the necessities, but there isn’t enough left for extras. But being a Sibling doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money.”

  “I’m a good shopper, so I’ll be able to buy something suitable without spending tons of money. I have a feeling I’m going to benefit from this relationship as much as Chloe.”

  He drove back to the office and stopped beside Aimee’s car. “When can I see you again?”

  “I don’t know. But let’s keep in touch by phone. Although I don’t have to go everywhere Samantha goes anymore, I am first of all a mother. I need to sort out my relationship with her. Everything else has to take second place.”

  Aimee made that statement, but her heart wasn’t in it. Every time Jacob looked at her, she sensed the affection he wanted to give her. She longed for the protective comfort of his arms around her, and her instinctive response to his touch convinced her that she was indeed becoming fond of Jacob Mallory. Too fond? she wondered.

  Jacob watched as she got into her car and drove away, wondering if any man who became a part of Aimee’s life would have to accept second place to Samantha. Did he want that? He’d been hurt enough.

  An invisible connection was building between them, as well as a physical awareness of each other. He sensed that Aimee was attempting to put a barrier between them by talking of her responsibility to Samantha. He couldn’t believe that the attraction he felt for Aimee was one-sided. In his heart he believed that there was a tangible bond between them that even Samantha’s hold on Aimee could not prevent from growing.

  Samantha was bubbling with excitement when she got home about eight o’clock.

  “Oh, Mom, we had a totally amazing day! Jennifer’s mother is so fun to be with.” She dug into the large plastic bag she carried. “Look at what I bought! I spent almost all of my money on this rope tote made out of recycled sails.”

  The bag didn’t look like much to Aimee, but she reminded herself that she wasn’t fourteen. It was made of canvas, had ropes for handles and a large, blue five-pointed star sewn on one side with a red star on the other.

  “Mrs. Toney, Madison’s mom, said these bags go for almost one hundred fifty dollars in big-city department stores, but I bought this at a discount place.”

  Aimee didn’t want to dim Samantha’s joy, so she said, “It sure is a nice bag, and just the thing for you to take to Florida with you this summer.”

  Samantha draped the bag over her shoulder and pranced around the room. “That’s the reason I bought it. Say, Mom, why don’t you go to Florida with me this summer? Grammy told me to invite y
ou to come along.”

  “That was nice of her, but I probably won’t. Your father’s family deserves to have some quality time alone with you. Thanks, anyway.”

  Aimee didn’t like to suspect her daughter of ulterior motives, but after Samantha turned ten, she hadn’t wanted her mother to go with her on the yearly visit. Aimee had always spent those two weeks housecleaning so she wouldn’t miss Samantha so much. Why had her daughter changed? Didn’t she want Aimee to be alone in Benton now that she had met Jacob?

  “What’d you do today, Mom?”

  Suspecting that Samantha wouldn’t be happy about what she had done, Aimee silently prayed for guidance before she answered.

  “Mrs. Milton, Jacob’s grandmother, called this morning, mentioning that the Siblings organization had a teenager who needed a friend. Jacob and I had lunch together and then went to visit the girl.”

  Some the joy faded from Samantha’s face, and Aimee was sorry to ruin her day.

  “Mom, that is not fair! You’re too busy now. I wish we’d never heard of Jacob Mallory. You’re not the same since you’ve been seeing him.”

  Aimee couldn’t dispute that, so she continued, “I’ve made plans to take her to a movie next Saturday afternoon.”

  “Well, what about me?”

  “You’re welcome to go with us. In fact, I want you to go.”

  Samantha ignored the invitation. “It’s been months since you’ve taken me to a movie.”

  “And why haven’t I?” Aimee asked with a lifting of her eyebrows.

  Samantha blushed. For the past six months, when Aimee had mentioned going to a movie together, Samantha always said she wanted to see it with her friends.

  “Who is this girl?” Samantha demanded, a petulant look on her lips.

  “Chloe Spencer.”

  “What? I remember her. She’s completely impossible. You start taking her places, and she’ll ruin my life.”

  “I doubt that. She didn’t impress me as the kind of girl who would go where she isn’t wanted. Besides, this is between Chloe and me. You don’t need to be involved unless you choose to.”

  “What are you going to do tomorrow?”

  “We have church in the morning, and we can spend the afternoon together doing whatever you want to do.”

  A stubborn expression on her face, Samantha shook her head and turned toward the stairs. “No, thanks. Jennifer is coming over tomorrow afternoon, and she’s going to help me study for my math test.”

  Jacob checked his e-mail when he got home from lunch and was pleased to see a message from the organization he’d contacted to search for his paternal relatives.

  Dear Sir:

  We have located a couple who are possibly your grandparents. All of the data checks out, and this was quite easy for us since these people are also searching for their grandson. We assume that you want to make the initial contact. Please forward the required fee, and we will give you the address and telephone number.

  Jacob’s first impulse was to erase the message and forget about it. But a strange longing came over him. He felt so rootless, and if these people were his father’s parents, he would like to talk to them. It gave him a warm feeling to know that they wanted to meet him, too.

  Jacob wrote a message to the man, sent the required fee, and within an hour had the names, mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number of the people who might be his grandparents. Would poking into the past cause him more anguish than he already felt?

  He wanted to talk to someone about the situation, but he didn’t want Gran worrying until he knew something more definite.

  He dialed Aimee’s number, and she answered on the first ring. “Is everything all right at your house?” he asked.

  “Presumably,” she said with a slight laugh. “Samantha and Jennifer are downstairs, supposed to be studying. Things are quiet down there, so I don’t know if they’re studying. But I’ll hope for the best.”

  “It’s a nice day. Could we drive down to Pioneer Park and hike for a while?”

  “Yes, let’s,” Aimee said. “I haven’t been to the park for a long time. I always enjoy the river walk.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Jacob said, and there was a trace of excitement in his voice.

  “I’ll be ready,” Aimee told him.

  Not until after she’d hung up did Aimee realize that she hadn’t once considered Samantha in her decision. Slowly, she was learning to consider her own wants and needs.

  Aimee checked the temperature, which was in the mid-sixties with the sun shining. Most of the river walkway was on level ground, but occasionally it wound uphill and through the forest. She put on a pair of jeans and a white sweatshirt, then she pulled on a pair of hiking shoes and heavy socks.

  When she was ready, she went downstairs. She knocked on the door, and when Samantha or Jennifer didn’t answer, she went in. The girls were sitting on Samantha’s bed with headsets on, their eyes closed, apparently deeply engrossed in the music. So much for studying!

  To get their attention, Aimee flipped the lights off and on a couple of times. The girls’ eyes opened and they turned off the CDs.

  “Hey, Mom! Where’re you going?” Samantha asked with a smile.

  “Jacob is picking me up. We’re going to Pioneer Park for a hike. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”

  “How cool is that?” Jennifer asked with her customary enthusiasm.

  A sudden look of withdrawal erased Samantha’s smile.

  “Have fun,” she said, turned up the music volume and closed her eyes. Jennifer looked at her friend, lifted her eyebrows in surprise, and gave Aimee a thumbs-up.

  Shrugging her shoulders, Aimee closed the door and walked upstairs. She refused to let Samantha’s attitude ruin her afternoon with Jacob. She watched from the foyer, and when he turned into her driveway, she went outside rather than wait for him to come to the house.

  He got out and opened the door for her, then walked back around to the driver’s side. They looked at each other, and Aimee sensed that Jacob was as excited about their outing as she was.

  Both of them burst out laughing, and there was still a trace of laughter in her voice when Aimee said, “I don’t know why I’m laughing, or why I’m so surprised at your appearance, but I just realized that this is the first time I’ve seen you dressed in casual clothes.”

  Jacob wore a flannel shirt and cutoff denim shorts, and he wore a ball cap.

  “I guess it wouldn’t be very convenient to hike in a business suit,” she said, and they laughed again. Aimee had never felt so carefree in her life.

  “You surprised me, too.” He put the car in gear and backed into the street. “Maybe today we’ll get behind the facade we present to the world and find our real selves.”

  Fastening her seat belt, Aimee said, “I hope so.”

  The drive to the park took less than thirty minutes, and when they got there, several cars were in the parking area near the head of the river trail. The municipal park had been established before Aimee was born, and activities here had always been a part of her life.

  Jacob put a bottle of water and a first-aid kit in a backpack and slung it over his left shoulder before they walked toward the river and the trail opening. At the entrance, the trail was wide enough for them to walk side by side.

  “Gran started bringing me to this park when I was just a kid. I’d play on the swings and slides, and we had picnics here, too. The church rented the big shelter every summer for our annual picnic.”

  “I was here often as a child, and I used to bring Samantha when she was growing up. Isn’t it strange,” Aimee said as they walked with the river in view, “that we might have been here at the same time and didn’t meet each other? Wonder what would have happened if we’d met a long time ago.”

  Jacob shook his head. “It wasn’t in God’s plan for us to meet before, I suppose. Who knows? We might not have liked each other when we were younger.”

  When the trail narrow
ed, Aimee took the lead, and they didn’t talk much until they reached a switchback that took them away from the river and into a large stand of oak and maple trees.

  “We weave in and out of this forest for a mile or so, don’t we?” she called over her shoulder to Jacob.

  “Yes. There are benches along the way if you want to sit and rest.”

  When they reached a grove of pine trees, they were out of sight of the river now, and when Aimee approached the next wooden bench, she paused. “Let’s stop here.”

  “Good.” They’d been walking rather fast and Aimee breathed heavily as she sat down.

  “Whew! I’m obviously out of shape,” she said. “I need to start going to the Y.”

  “You’ve been setting a rapid pace. This is the halfway mark, and we can slow down now,” Jacob said. “Most of the return trail is downhill.”

  “As I remember, this used to be a thicket of small pine trees. Now they’re towering over us.” She stretched out her legs.

  “I’m ready to rest, too,” Jacob said. “Besides, I’ve got something to tell you. I think I may have found my father’s family.”

  “You have? Are you happy or…?” Aimee’s eyes complete the question.

  “I don’t know.” He explained about the information he’d received. “I wanted to talk to you about it before I did anything further. I have the telephone number, but I can’t decide whether to go through with this.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m a coward,” he said, laughing.

  “You are not! You might have cold feet, but you’re not a coward,” Aimee said, a smile on her face.

  “I don’t want to talk to Gran about it until I call, that is, if I do.”

  “Of course you’ll call,” she encouraged him. “You’ve gone this far, you’ll never be satisfied until you do.”

  “You’re right. It means a lot to me to have your opinion. One reason I suggested taking this hike is that even though we’ve been together quite a lot, we still don’t know each other.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t know much about you before we met a few weeks ago, and I’d like to know more. Do you have any siblings, for instance?”